It’s an extremely short blog from me tonight. I’ve had a lovely day out around West Yorkshire catching up with and acting as a tour guide for old friends. Now I’m back at home editing a few more pictures before having some chill-time with Dawn. So, here’s the picture of the day which comes from Norwich. As shop names go…
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There was no blog from me last night as the pair of us were having a convivial night round at the house of friends. Tonight, Dee’s out with friends whilst I’m ‘billy no mates’, sat at home working and trying to catch-up with writing and picture editing, along with a few household chores. Not that I’m complaining. After my time in Germany/Holland it’s nice to have some time not lugging a heavy camera bag around all day. Instead, I get to sit at home in the warm, do some work and observe (via the internet) the Truss government implode. Sadly, that’s not all that’s imploding, the FTSE100 and the currency are too. I always suspected Boris Johnson’s reputation of being the worst Prime Minister we’ve ever had was going to be short-lived, but I had little idea Truss would be so quick to steal that mantle. After all, she’s only been in the job for a few weeks! Today she gave a series of BBC local radio interviews which were excruciatingly painful as it was obvious how ill-prepared and wooden she was as she responded to some very pertinent and hardball questions – or rather, didn’t respond, as time and time again she came back to her script rather than answer the actual questions but doubled-down on her economic madness which immediately caused more damage to the pound and the stock market!
I’ve avoided talking much about politics recently, but the events of the past week have left me both angry and fearful as it painfully obvious the swivel-eyed loons of the libertarian right are in charge now and seen hell-bent on wrecking the country as they apply their economic theories, no matter what.
The result? A sense of disbelief across the country as this shitstorm is engulfing everyone. It may be dogmatic theory to Truss and her Tufton St cabal but ordinary people are genuinely worried about how they’re going to keep a roof over their head and feed themselves and their loved ones. Forget the lie that Truss told that no-one will pay more than £2,500 for heating bills this year. As many others have explained, either she doesn’t understand her own policy, or she just outright lied about it. Meanwhile, the very real threat of massive interest rate hikes could see many people losing their homes which is a far greater worry than paying to heat a house you no longer have.
The upshot of this is that the Tories are tanking in the opinion polls. One (YouGov) put Labour with an unheard-of lead of 33 points! Others had more modest but equally ‘wipe-out’ territory leads of 17-19 points. Next week’s Tory party conference is going to be a very ‘interesting’ event as many Tory MPs arses are going to be twitching like a bunny’s nose. They know they can’t depose another leader and get away with it, nor can they survive the levels of public outrage over her policies. All they can do is try and persuade her to change her mind (or what passes for one) but as she models herself on Thatcher the lady ‘who wasn’t for turning’, that’s going to be a massive challenge.
If it wasn’t so damned serious and affecting us all so badly I’d be happy to sit back with some popcorn and watch the Tory party tear itself apart. They’ve got themselves into the mess, sadly, the rest of the country will be collateral damage.
Right, enough for now. I’ve got to go back to writing for a living. So, here’s today’s picture which was taken on our recent Suffolk holiday but is with others in the queue for editing and adding to my Zenfolio website in the future. This is the rather elegant National Trust property called Blickling Hall.
I hate to think what their energy bills are going to be this winter…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
There’s a very short blog from me tonight. Now I’m back home I’ve spent the day slaving over a hot computer in order start the mammoth task of editing all the pictures from the past few week’s travels. The first batch to be done are from the Innotrans rail trade show as I need to get them out to clients. The job will be finished tomorrow. You can find them by following this link.
I’ve already loaded several dozen with the rest to follow tomorrow. Today’s picture isn’t from Innotrans, but it is from Germany. Here’s one of the regional double-deck trains I’ve been commuting to/from Frankfurt (Oder) this last week, seen approaching Zoo station in the former West Berlin from the East.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
I’m back in dear old Blighty (with the accent on the dear thanks to our ‘new’ Government’s policies) after a decent night’s sleep on the ferry from the Hook of Holland. To be honest, I’m looking forward to getting home now as I’ve a huge amount of pictures to edit and file – as well as begin writing my series of RAIL articles from my around Britain trip.
Right now, I’m on Greater Anglia’s 07:45 heading for Ipswich where I’ll take a pit-stop to have breakfast – and get a few pictures. Tempting as it was to have a trip to Manningtree on one of the few remaing Class 321s I’ve opted for a direct train in the shape of a Stadler Class 755. Here’s what I could have won!
08:05.
Just as well I planned to bail early. The weather here is awful and driver’s having difficulties as the motor for his windscreen wiper’s failed meaning there’ll be a unit swap at Ipswich anyway!
11:00.
I’m on the move again, this time from Norwich to Ely. It’s a roundabout way to get to Ely from Ipswich but the direct service is only two-hourly. Plus, with the weather being so dull it made sense to try my luck elsewhere. The plan worked. Norwich was (mostly) sunny so I managed a few decent shots before catching a Stansted bound train. I’m now set up on a comfy Class 745 and enjoying the scenery.
A pair of 755s at Norwich. The left hand unit is the 10:34 to Stansted Airport.
15:10.
I’m now on my way back to Yorkshire behind some vintage East Coast traction after stopping off at Ely and Peterborough en-route. Ely’s a delightful little station with friendly staff, a variety of refreshment outlets and a busy train service as it’s a major junction for the Fens. You also have entertainment provided by military aircraft on training exercises, although you can always hear the fast jets, you rarely see them. Train services are provided by Greater Anglia, East Midlands Railway, Cross-Country Trains and also Great Northern. I was surprised to see one of the Class 387/3s there as I’d forgotten they’d been transferred to the TOC in July from both C2C and Great Western.
Having shot a variety of pictures I moved on to another old haunt – Peterborough. Nowadays it’s not the most ideal place to get pictures but there’s a real variety of services and train fleets to be found, including this very shabby East Midlands Railway Class 156 working GN-GE services.
I stayed to grab a few shots before catching this beastie Northwards.
This takes me back in more ways than one.I first encountered the Class 91s here at Peterborough in 1990 when they were brand new and still being tested.
16:00.
I’m having another short break in Doncaster where this Trans-Pennine interloper has put in an appearence.
20:45.
I’m finally home and calling it a day for today. Now it’s time to unpack, wind down, eat some delicious veggie food that Dawn’s prepared and have some quality time together. Tomorrow’s another day…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
A quiet night in a hotel in Rotterdam has allowed me to start catching up on sleep after a very hectic week. I resisted the temptation to go out and explore yesterday and elected to stay in my room with a beer and a laptop in order to catch up with the volume of pictures I’ve been taking this past week. Food was provided by a little Persian supermarket around the corner where I bought the Iranian version of the Greek Dolmades (stuffed vine leaves). Only the main ingredient in Dolmeh appears to be chickpeas rather than rice. They were delicious!
Now I’m about to check out of my hotel to spend the day exploring the city before heading to the Hook of Holland to catch the night boat. Sadly, this one isn’t to Cairo but back to Brexit Britain run by the asset strippers of the Tory party…
13:30.
I’m taking a short break to rest my weary bones and enjoy the sun having spent the past few hours wandering miles around Rotterdam. I’ve realised that I’ve not bee here since 2007 when I was working for a French firm who build train simulators. In one way it seems like the blink of an eye, in other ways it’s a lifetime. Here’s a few phone piics from my wanderings. As you can imagine, my real camera has been kept very busy!
I love the mix of architecture here. I spotted these doors on a building opposite my hotel.Rotterdam is a city built for people, not for cars. The old docks and a preserved ‘Sik’ (Goat) shunting engine.A memorial to Jewish children killed in the war.As you can imagine, there’s plenty of bridges here. The tall one is a former railway bridge. The view from where I’m sitting right now.
20:00.
I’m finally on my way to the Hook of Holland after a lovely day exploring the city. There’s so much that I could write about the place and my experiences through the day, but here’s a few. Holland is a melting pot. I passed and took photos of a silent march by members of the Muslim faith where the sole purpose was to remind people that no-one is free of opression. I had a lovely chat with one of the stewards whi saw my interest. Heading back to thr hotel I popped in to a Persian supermarket to buy some if the delicacies I’d seen last night. I had a chat with the lovely he old guy running it where he talked about what’s happening in Iran right now. When I got to the metro station and started poring over the map a chap of Indisn origin worked out I was English and offered to help. We struck up a conversation as he was Sri Lankan but had livef in the Netherlands for 40 years whereas I’ve been a regular visitor to the island. I love these chance meetings and interatctions.
21:40.
It’s time to say goodnight. I’m now on the ferry back to Britain and there’s no free wifi on this one. See you on the other side as they say…
Time to get on the road again, only with a slight change of plan. I’d originally intended to get the ferry from the Hook of Holland back to the UK tonight but having seen the way punctuality of the German rail network isn’t what it was – and my connection in Rotterdam being tight I’ve decided to have one last night in the Netherlands and not have to stress about connections as I change trains four times on the way. Right now, I’m ready to begin the first leg from Frankfurt (Oder) to Berlin. Let’s see what happens…
09:55.
I had a pleasant stroll to the station as the weather’s still mild here. En-route I passed this sobering reminder of the country’s dark past. These two brass plaques were sunk into the pavement outside an apartment block. They’re a permenant reminder of local Jews who were murdered by the Nazis.
I’d given myself plenty of time to get to the station so that I could get some shots on the way. I’d hoped to get a selection of the meter gauge tram network but the little buggers proved elusive. It was only when I was almost at the station that a gaggle of them appeared, including this example.
The weather turned gloomy by the time I’d dug the camera out at the staion which was a shame as it’s a busy place. Rehional services to Berlin are interspersed with local trains and even international expresses from over the Polish burder just the other side of the Oder river. Heavy freight trains pass through every few minutes, carrying mix of containers, new VWs, minerals, chemicals and steel.
Not wanting to push my luch and knowing just how unreliable DB are nowadays I decided to hope on an earlier train (the 09:34) to get me to Berlin Ostbahnhof rather than my booked 09:58. It was a wise move. Despite starting from here it left 20 mins late at 09:54 so I hate to think what time the 09:58 will run at! My connection time in Berlin’s 24 minutes…
11:34.
In reality the journey panned out OK. Yes, the train I should have caught was late, but only by six minutes. The extra time I had in the bank allowed me to have a wander before my train arrived in the shape of a pair of the older Intercity (ICE2) sets. I’m now set up in the quiet coach, laptop plugged in and charging. The advantage of getting the train from Ostbahnhof is the sets arrive empty off the depot, so you have plenty of time to settle in as only a handful of other passengers do the same. Next stop is the Hauptbahnhof which is mayhem as the platforms are full – and now so is my train!
It doesn’t look like this anymore…
13:45.
It was all going so well until we left Stendal…
A few minutes later we ground to a rather rapid halt. Not quite a full ‘drop the lot’ emergency stop, but a very rapid deceleration ending in a slow stop. Then the crew call alarm went – which is normally a bad sign. It means the driver needs to talk to the train manager. After a while the train manager explained the delay was down to unspecified ‘engineering work’. As I’ve bought my ticket online from the DB website, I get regular email updates about my delayed trains and suggested revised onwards connections. The latest on also mentioned engineering work and also told me I’d still make my onwards connection – which was reassuring. Of course, that depends on nothing else going tits up! With that news and the fact I’s no idea how long we’d be stuck, there was only one thing to do. Find the bar car…
The delay’s annoying as I was looking forward to some spare time as Duisburg to get a few pictures before boarding another train. Now we’ll have to see. Right now we’ve just pulled into Hannover Hauptbahnhof at least 25 minutes down. The train’s getting even busier too. One or two have got off but far more are joining and, on my trip, back from the bar car I had to step over young people sitting in the vestibules.
22:00.
I’m now relaxing in my hotel in Rotterdam after completing the trip, so I’m resuming where I left off earlier. My eventual arrival in Duisberg was over 30 minutes late which was a great shame as it looks like a fascinating station to take pictures at. It’s old and untypical of many German stations as the mix of shops in the subway is a mix of the exotic and the down-market. It was also incredibly busy. I had enough time to grab something to eat, find my train and that was about it. The station reminds me of Crewe back in the UK. It shares the same levels of faded glory and decrepitude – but with better food!
I was hoping for a more relaxed train across the border to Arnhem, but it wasn’t to be. A pair of units turned up which were busy before they arrived and absolutely rammed when they left, but at least I managed to get a seat. I’ve not travelled on the lines around here or through Oberhausen for years, so I was rather taken about by how much weeds and bushes are taking over. Again, it reminded me of the UK, apart from the fact German railways are so much bigger. The amount of freight is staggering, but then Germany is still an industrialised nation – unlike the UK, where most of our comparable industries were run down during the Thatcher government years.
I changed trains yet again at Arnhem, a recently rebuilt station which (compared to Germany) has few facilities. A Dutch four car double-deck EMU arrived to take us forward but this was far too small for the numbers and left hopelessly overcrowded. I ended up standing in a vestibule all the way to Utrecht, where I changed for the final time. The next train was another hopelessly packed EMU where I had to stand almost all the way to Rotterdam. Both trains contained lots of young people heading for a night out in various places, which may have exacerbated the situation. On the bright side? Both trains were spot on time. The downside? They were all dirty and graffiti covered, not that it seems to put people off from using them.
People often make unfavorable comparisons between the UKs railways and those of Europe. I can only assume the majority of those people have never spent much (if any) time actually travelling in trains in Europe, because if they had they’d know what simplistic nonsense is talked. The UK network is far from perfect, but the trains are in far better condition than those of many EU countries and that applies to the stations too.
Right, I’m going to bring this blog to a close. It’s time for bed. There’ll be time for a lot more thought tomorrow, before my return to little Britain…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
My day began at 06:00 as usual but today the trains behaved themselves and my service into Berlin was seamless. Now I’ve finished up some picture editing in the Innotrans press centre and I’m about to hit the halls. Watch out for loads of pictures today as I’m free to roam – and it’s a bright, sunny morning…
13:50.
Having spent the last several hours wandering around halls and outdoor displays I’m taking a few minutes break to download some of the pictures, top up my water levels and use the facilities. Today’s akways the quietest as many people have already left so it’s easier to get pictures. Even so, you still need patience.
The Dubai ‘Sky pod’.The new FPS PlusFPS plus interiorTrenitalia and Hitachi ‘blues’. ‘blues’ interior‘blues’ bike and luggage area. The new Siemens U-bahn car shows why you have to be patient. There’s often someone taking extreme interest in the underfloor equipment!Never complain about the hardness of UK train seats again. The Wein U-bahn trains are fitted with plain plywood ones!
17:10.
I elected to leave Innotrans before the bitter end as I’d done most of what I wanted. There’s not a cat in hell’s chance of getting around it all and it’s such a lovely evening I thought I’d explore the city’s railways. Here’s a couple of shots so far…
A Siemens built Class 182 calls at Friedrichstrasse.Alexanderplatz staion in the former East Berlin with a double-deck, loco hauled set working to Magdeburg.
22:30.
I’m now homeward bound after a great few hours exploring the Berlin S and U bahn (and the areas it passes through) before meeting up with an old friend for a couple of beers and chatting about life, the universe and everything. Here’s one of the paces I discovered, the wonderful architecture of the old Berlin Pankow station.
Strange to think I’ll be moving on again tomorrow. I’ve kinda got into the routine of being a commuter and living life in a city I really enjoy.
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Miracle of miracles, my train into Berlin is actually on time today! Oh, and it’s a beautifully sunny morning to boot so all’s well with the world. Admittedly, I have a slightly fuzzy head after a night out with the ‘boys’ but it’s nothing that a couple of cups of coffee in the media centre won’t cure.
I’m looking forward to a freerer day at Innotrans now that most of my commissions are done. Well, that I know of anyway – you never know what might crop up. Either way, today should be a lot more relaxed than the past two.
I’m beginning to get used to this commuting malarky after catching the same train three days in a row. I’ve not gone for the classic commuter behaviour of always heading for ‘my’ seat but I’m starting to recognise a few regulars on the route.
13:50.
Joy of joys – my last launch is done. My services were farmed out to an EU rail organisation rebrand and launch which kept me occupied most of the morning. Now I’m off the leash and free to wander around outside. Here’s a few shots.
If you wander down to the bottom of the site, Schweerbau are fuelling a party with free beer and bratwurst!
There’s some serious kit on display here…
Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotherham at the launch of the new Stadler battery trains for Merseyrail. A bird’s eye view of some of the outdoor exhibits at Innotrans.
23:00.
The end of today turned in to a sociable one as I spent it catching up with friends from Siemens. Firstly Silke, who had tipped me off about the opportunity to get the photo shown above. We had a good catch-up on the huge Siemens stand. After the show closed I went out for dinner with Ellen and the pair of us had a great chin-wag about life, the universe and everything.
Now it’s nearly midnight, I’m back ‘home’ and ready to hit the sack before the final day of Innotrans. As yet, I’ve no commissions tomorrow so let’s see what I can get up to…
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
German railways let me down again this morning. My inbound train was 25 mins late so I didn’t get to Innotrans until way after 09:00. First job was to check in with my clients and find out what’s happening today. Luckily their presentation (which is on another stand) is literally next door – I was fearing it’d be in a hall on the other side of the Messe!
Next port of call was the press centre where I’ve bumped into a large chunk of the UK trade press. Tips and gossip swapped and pictures downloaded it’s time to hit the halls…
Another busy day beckons…
13:10.
Finally, a chance to sit down for a few minutes before the next gig. The problem with Innotrans is that there are so many launch or other events you’re always running from one to the other. I had Hitachi Energy unveiling a new transformer back to back with Talgo hosting the Spanish transport minister who was having a look at one of their new coaches for DB. Next I have a joint UK-Saudi signing. Still, it’s kept me occupied. Here’s a few phone pictures
Here’s one of two UK pavilions. This one has a Welsh flavour and a plan of the new £250m test track that’s under construction It’s not just trains either. Transport needs to be integrated (and green). Here’s a new electric bus with a 450km range.
The countdown nears its end as Hitachi Energy prepare to unveil their new transformer that’s lighter and greener.
Don’t worry, there’ll be more trains soon!…
22:11.
Yet another day where my step count is getting silly! Right now I’m sat on the (late running -surprise, surprise) RER train to Frankfurt (Oder) after another great day. I still haven’t seen anywhere near enough of Innotrans but then I’ve been busy with various assignments. Then there’s the amount of people you bump into at random or by design. Innotrans is such a seminal event in the rail industry calender that almost everyone is here. It’s difficult to explain just what a vast event it is. A map doesn’t do it justice as it doesn’t give away the fact these huge exhibition buildings have several floors. I ended up recce’ing how long it would take me to get from one stand to another in a completely different building so that I knew I could do certain launches – hence one of the reasons for my step count.
We’re half way through the event so now I’m listing the trains/stands/people I’ve still not seen. Thankfully, my work calender should thin out a bit tomortow.
This evening I bunked off before the show closed as a bunch of us UK rail people had arranged to meet in the city centre for beers and food. The beers weren’t sobering but the reminiscing could be when we counted down the time and realised we’d been involved in group trips to Europe for 17 years – and I have the website pictures to prove it!
It wasn’t all a trip down memory lane, we had some new people join us which swelled our group to 13. It wasn’t a bad place to eat and drink either. It’s a bar in the railway arches West of Alexandetplatz that brews its own beer.
I’m currently bowling towards Berlin on a double-deck train from Frankfurt (Oder) where I’m staying. It’s an hour away from central Berlin but vastly cheaper than trying to book anywhere in the German capital right now as the huge Innotrans trade fair i’m attending has caused prices to go crazy. Instead of paying a four figure sum I’ve a lovely hotel suite in Frankfurt (Oder) for less than 400 quid for 5 nights. Commuting on the train is costing me 30 euros for a weekly season ticket – not bad when you think the normal single fare is 18 euros! Oh, there’s also a lovely little metre-gauge tram network running old Tatra vehicles to play on if I have time!
I’m on the 07:34 to Berlin Hauptbahnhof. Typically for Germany in 2022 it’s running late. only by a few minutrs mind, but there was no obvious reason for the delay. It’s a busy service. We’ve just called at the first stop (Furstenwalde) where so many folk joined us the train’s already full! Mask wearing is still mandatory here and everyone’s complied. It feels strange now as we abandoned the practice in the UK such long time ago. However, the Germans are less cavalier and complacent about Covid.
I’ll blog in fits and starts throughout what will be an incredibly busy day but my first priority is to hook up with various clients to see what it is they want me to do over the next few days.
Catch you later…
08:15.
One observation before I go. Several of the lityle local stations en-route are having their platforms lengthened. This involves single line working as one track is being used by on-track plant involved in the work. In the UK this would never happen as there would be a complete block on both lines as a safety measure!
13:20.
Here’s the start of my InnoTrans 2022 gallery, featuring some of the new Stadler trains for the UK…
No rest for the wicked. After a busy day photographing, note-taking and meeting up with old friends I’m now on my way to the British Embassy to cover a trade reception….
23:30.
It’s been a long day. I’m back at my hotel and it’s time to hit the sack as the fun starts all over again tomorrow. But here’s a couple of pictures to whet your appetite. I’m hoping to cover far more of Innotrans tomorrow (depending on commissions). Hopefully we won’t be having the same stormy weather…
One of the Stadler built train-trams that will soon be appearing in the Welsh valleys…Merseyside isn’t left out either. Here’s the interior of the new Stadler built trains for Merseyrail. I’ll be honest, I never expected to see the name of my old hometown appear on a train at Innotrans!
I’ve a small favour to ask… If you enjoy reading this or any of the other blogs I’ve written, please click on an advert or two. You don’t have to buy anything you don’t want to of course – although if you did find something that tickled your fancy that would be fab! – but the revenue from them helps me to cover some of the cost of maintaining this site (which isn’t cheap and comes out of my own pocket). Remember, 99% of the pictures used in my blogs can be purchased as prints from my other website – https://paulbigland.zenfolio.com/
Paul Bigland 